Bike
MTB
Want to know more about Red Bull Rampage 2023? Step right up
Red Bull Rampage is the gnarliest event that marks the climax of every mountain biking contest season. If you don't know what it’s about, here’s a guide to the 2023 event.
Part of this story
What is Red Bull Rampage? Well, it's a freeride mountain bike event held in Utah, USA, where the best mountain bike athletes in the world try to make it down frightening mountainsides and ridges in one piece. At the same time, they must impress a judging panel by doing seemingly unimaginable tricks and carving a line down the mountain. It's the most spectacular event to participate in as a mountain biker – and if you're lucky, to watch on site as a spectator.
The 2023 edition of Rampage will be the 17th time that this iconic mountain bike event has run. For 2023, the action takes place on October 13.
1 min
What is Red Bull Rampage?
Ever wondered what Red Bull Rampage is? Here's everything you need to know about the ultimate freeride event.
Scroll down to learn more about Red Bull Rampage.
01
Where and when can I watch Red Bull Rampage
Don't worry if you can't get to Utah to watch Red Bull Rampage in person, as Red Bull TV and ESPN+ has you covered with a live broadcast of finals day on October 21. Rampage will be streamed live exclusively on ESPN+ in the United States, and on Red Bull TV in all other countries. The event will be available to watch as a replay on demand on both ESPN+ and Red Bull TV following the competition.
Check out the full livestream of the 2022 event below:
Finals
Red Bull Rampage 2022 headed back to the steep and unforgiving terrain of southwest Utah for wild freeride MTB action.
02
Why should I watch?
Red Bull Rampage is a competition that goes beyond sporting borders. It's the ultimate action sports competition, where a rider’s skill, mental fortitude and physical capacity on a mountain bike is tested. The event shows us what can be done on two wheels and inspires us all to think bigger and push the limits of bike riding.
To get an idea of what Red Bull Rampage is all about, watch the highlights from the 20th anniversary event from 2021 below:
30 min
Highlights of the 2021 action
Watch the best of the action from the event that's the biggest test of guts, skill and creativity in MTB.
03
Where is Red Bull Rampage held?
Rampage is held near the town of Virgin in Utah. The exact location where the event takes place is generally moved every few years. This is to give the riders a blank canvas to start afresh and carve out new lines.
The terrain the athletes ride on is dry sandstone dirt, while the mountainsides are characterised by cliffs and near-vertical chutes.
Rampage in a nutshell. Riding a trick off a cliff into a vertical chute
© Peter Morning/Red Bull Content Pool
04
What is the location of Red Bull Rampage
The competition zone is the same as last year's, and is located just outside of Virgin, Utah, at the site of the 2008-2013 competition zone. Five events have now been held at that location – 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, and 2022. Some of Red Bull Rampage’s most iconic moments have gone down at this location.
1 min
Red Bull Rampage top moment: Cam Zink's Sender Backflip
Get straight to the highlight reel with Cam Zink's huge Sender Backflip from Red Bull Rampage 2013.
Relive memorable moments from Red Bull Rampage's past
05
Here are the rules of competition
The rules are pretty simple – ride down a mountain to the bottom of it, in one piece, in as spectacular a way as possible. The mountain doesn't have a natural route down, so athletes have to transverse it and jump across sections to find a way down. The athletes have to determine a line down the mountain that best suits their style. You may see athletes perform tricks on their lines or simply show off technical riding skill on their way down.
Taking things easy at Rampage is simply not an option
© Christian Pondella/Red Bull Content Pool
There's no timing in Red Bull Rampage and it isn't a race against the clock. On finals day, riders get two race runs to ride their lines down to the bottom of the mountain. They're judged on those lines by a panel of judges and receive a score at the end of it. The athlete with the highest scored run wins the event. If there's a tie, the rider with the highest score of the two runs added together wins.
2 min
Judging at Red Bull Rampage
Chris Lawrence explains the criteria the judges will use when judging riders at Red Bull Rampage
06
What’s involved in finding a line down a Rampage mountain?
The riders can choose their own different lines down the mountain. When arriving at the Red Bull Rampage site before the event begins, the athletes will scope out the mountain for a route down. Nothing is manicured for them, however, on what's a rugged mountainside with many imperfections. So the athletes spend just under a week leading up to the event digging and shaping lines/jumps on the mountain to make their ride down as smooth as possible.
Scoping out a riding line on the mountain is the first job of an athlete
© Christian Pondella/Red Bull Content Pool
Sometimes riders agree to follow a similar line to share dig resources
© Long Nguyen/Red Bull Content Pool
Heavy lifting is part of the job
© Bartek Woliński/Red Bull Content Pool
Working on steep mountainside is a given
© Christian Pondella/Red Bull Content Pool
A rider is allowed a team of two mates to help him dig, but isn’t allowed any power tools or external material, except for sand bags. Generally there are three days of just digging at Rampage and an additional four days for the riders to get on their bikes to test lines and jumps. In those latter four days, they can continue to dig and reshape lines. Sometimes athletes join together to share the lines they'll use in competition and so can pool their digging resources together.
2 min
The digging process
Athletes and dig crews are on site and the riders' lines on the mountainside are beginning to take shape.
07
Who's crazy enough to compete?
Red Bull Rampage attracts athletes from all over the mountain bike spectrum. Freeriders, downhillers and slopestylers all want to be part of the toughest mountain bike event of the year. A roster of riders usually form the starting list of a Red Bull Rampage event. Rampage is an invite-only event.
In previous years athletes who finished in the top 10 of the previous year's event are pre-qualified and get automatic invites. The rest of the roster are wildcards, who are chosen by a committee of former Rampage competitors, pro athletes, judges, and industry expert.
2 min
Course preview
The wildest event in MTB returns to Utah. Here's what Szymon Godziek will be riding for Red Bull Rampage.
08
Who's riding at the 2023 edition of Red Bull Rampage?
The 2023 roster features 18 athletes. Four are pre-qualified with the rest being wildcard invites.
Pre-qualified
- Szymon Godziek (POL)
- Reed Boggs (USA)
- Thomas Genon (BEL)
- Carson Storch (USA)
09
Wildcards
- Adolf Silva (SPA)
- Alex Volokhov (CAN)
- Bienvenido Aguado Alba (SPA)
- Brandan Fairclough (GBR)
- Cam Zink (USA)
- Clemens Kaudela (AUT)
- DJ Brandt (USA)
- Emil Johansson (SWE)
- Jaxson Riddle (USA)
- Kurt Sorge (CAN)
- Kyle Strait (USA)
- Talus Turk (USA)
- Tom Van Steenbergen (USA)
- Gee Atherton (UK)
There are also four alternate riders who're on standby should any of the 18 invited riders not be able to take part or start in the run-up to the event. They are: Johny Salido (MEX), Hayden Zablotny (CAN), Ryan McNulty (USA) and Dylan Stark (USA).
10
Previous winners of Red Bull Rampage:
Notable on the roll call of winners are three legendary mountain bike athletes in Brandon Semenuk, Kurt Sorge and Kyle Strait. Semenuk stands alone as a four-time winner. Sorge is a three-time winner while Kyle Strait has won it twice.
When?
Who?
2001
Wade Simmons
2002
Tyler Klassen
2003
Cedric Gracia
2004
Kyle Strait
2008
Brandon Semenuk
2010
Cam Zink
2012
Kurt Sorge
2013
Kyle Strait
2014
Andreu Lacondeguy
2015
Kurt Sorge
2016
Brandon Semenuk
2017
Kurt Sorge
2018
Brett Rheeder
2019
Brandon Semenuk
2021
Brandon Semenuk
2022
Brett Rheeder
Red Bull Rampage 2023 will be available to watch on Red Bull TV in all countries except the United States, where Rampage will be available to watch on ESPN+ exclusively.
Download the free Red Bull TV app and catch the MTB action on all your devices! Get the app here
Part of this story
